The entire Bay Bridge remains closed with no definite time of reopening while repairs continue on the span.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

The entire Bay Bridge remains closed with no definite time of...

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A CHP Officer walks on the upper deck of the closed Bay Bridge as the Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge continued Sunday Nov. 01, 2009

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

A CHP Officer walks on the upper deck of the closed Bay Bridge as...

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The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge continued Sunday Oct 31, 2009 with Ironworkers re fitting the tie-rods on the lower I-bars on E-3 Tower of the old boxed steel frame portion of the Bridge in an effort to reduce friction in the saddle area that will carry the weight once carried by the I-Bars.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge continued Sunday Oct 31, 2009 with...

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The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge continued Sunday Oct 31, 2009 with Ironworkers re fitting the tie-rods on the upper I-bars on E-3 Tower of the old boxed steel frame portion of the Bridge in an effort to reduce friction in the saddle area that will carry the weight once carried by the I-Bars.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge continued Sunday Oct 31, 2009 with...

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Construction on the new Bay Bridge continued as Repairs to the old boxed steel frame portion that failed last week goes on Sunday Nov. 01, 2009.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Construction on the new Bay Bridge continued as Repairs to the old...

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Repairs continue on the upper eyebar section of the westbound span of the Bay Bridge.

Repairs continue on the upper eyebar section of the westbound span of the Bay Bridge.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Repairs continue on the upper eyebar section of the westbound span...

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The Bay Bridge remains closed to traffic as emergency repairs continue on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, in San Francisco.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

The Bay Bridge remains closed to traffic as emergency repairs...

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The Bay Bridge remains closed to traffic as emergency repairs continue on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, in San Francisco.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

The Bay Bridge remains closed to traffic as emergency repairs...

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Workers examine a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, in San Francisco. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers examine a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Friday, Oct. 30,...

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Iron workers use a lift to get access to the lower saddle that is used to carry the weight load from the eye bars.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Iron workers use a lift to get access to the lower saddle that is...

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Iron workers and construction personnel continue to make repairs to the saddles on the Bay Bridge.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Iron workers and construction personnel continue to make repairs to...

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Dale E. Bonner, secretary of the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Authority, talks to the media about the state of the Bay Bridge repair.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Dale E. Bonner, secretary of the state's Business, Transportation...

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West bound highway 92, (left) slows as commuters, at mid-morning, cross over the high rise section of the San Mateo Bridge into Foster City, Calif, on Wednesday October 28, 2009, after an earlier repair to the Bay Bridge, failed Tuesday night shutting down the span into San Francisco.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

West bound highway 92, (left) slows as commuters, at mid-morning,...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, commuters flood BART's Embarcadero Station on Wednesday.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, Jeremy Adams checks the paper while riding BART to see if he will be able to get to work on Treasure Island on Wednesday.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, Fred Pillon, a downtown SF lawyer, holds on to the hand grip on a BART train headed for San Francisco on Wednesday in Oakland. "Its an easy alternative. Its part of living here. You just have to roll with the punches," said Pillon.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, an empty skyway leads to the bridge during what would otherwise be busy commute time on Wednesday in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, commuters cram in a BART train at West Oakland Station on Wednesday.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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Ironworkers work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed on the Bay Bridge.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Ironworkers work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed on the Bay...

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Workers attempt to repair a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in San Francisco. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers attempt to repair a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Wednesday,...

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West bound traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge toll booths from Hayward is backed up for miles due to the closer of the Bay Bridge Wednesday morning.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

West bound traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge toll booths...

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The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge. Ironworkers work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed yesterday closing the Bay Bridge. Wednesday Oct. 28, 2009.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

The Re-Repair of the Bay Bridge. Ironworkers work on the saddle and...

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Commuters unload at Rockridge BART in Oakland, Calif., while emergency repairs on the Bay Bridge continue.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Commuters unload at Rockridge BART in Oakland, Calif., while...

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West bound highway 92, (left) slows as commuters, at mid-morning, cross over the high rise section of the San Mateo Bridge into Foster City on Wednesday.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

West bound highway 92, (left) slows as commuters, at mid-morning,...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, commuters wait in line to use the escalator at BART's Embarcadero Station on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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Workers inspect an eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers inspect an eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday....

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A worker walks below a damaged eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday in San Francisco. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

A worker walks below a damaged eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on...

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Traffic moves slowly along the Richmond San Rafael Bridge on Wednesday October 28, 2009.

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

Traffic moves slowly along the Richmond San Rafael Bridge on...

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Ironworkers work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Ironworkers work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed.

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Crews work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed on the Bay Bridge.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Crews work on the saddle and tie-rods that failed on the Bay Bridge.

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, commuters wait in line for the next train to San Francisco at the West Oakland Station on Wednesday.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge on highway 92 from the East Bay is backed up for miles due to the closer of the Bay Bridge Wednesday morning.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge on highway 92 from the...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, commuters cram in a BART train at Embarcadero Station on Wednesday.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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California highway patrol officer Rick Baller returns to his patrol car Wednesday on the approach to the tollbooths for the closed Bay Bridge.

Cal-Trans employee Ben Strumwasser stands in the vacant number one lane on the approach to the Bay Bridge tollbooth on Wednesday.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Cal-Trans employee Ben Strumwasser stands in the vacant number one...

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Workers attempt to repair a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Wednesday. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers attempt to repair a Bay Bridge eyebar support on Wednesday....

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Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge from Hayward is backed up for miles due to the closer of the Bay Bridge Wednesday morning.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge from Hayward is backed up...

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Workers attempt to repair an eyebar support, seen above them, on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday in San Francisco. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers attempt to repair an eyebar support, seen above them, on...

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Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge from the East Bay is backed up for miles due to the closer of the Bay Bridge Wednesday morning.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Traffic approaching the San Mateo Bridge from the East Bay is...

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The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for repairs, Alysia Nadjek joins to other commuters on a more crowed than usual BART train on Wednesday in San Francisco. "I can usually get a seat," said Nadjek, an Asst. at a downtown Investment firm, "today not likely."

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

The morning after the Bay Bridge was closed indefinitely for...

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Workers attempt to repair an eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on Wednesday in San Francisco. The bridge remains closed in both directions following a support failure Tuesday evening.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Workers attempt to repair an eyebar support on the Bay Bridge on...

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The California highway Patrol guards the approach to the Bay Bridge tollbooths that are vacant after the bridge closed Tuesday. In normal conditions 280,000 thousands vehicles use the bridge daily, making the Bay Bridge the most heavily traveled bridge in the state.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

The California highway Patrol guards the approach to the Bay Bridge...

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Vehicles sit in traffic on Doyle Drive in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday October 28, 2009.

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

Vehicles sit in traffic on Doyle Drive in San Francisco, Calif. on...

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Passengers disembark from a Golden Gate Ferry at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday October 28, 2009.

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

Passengers disembark from a Golden Gate Ferry at the Ferry Building...

Workers finally began testing a patch on the closed Bay Bridge on Saturday night after days of struggling to fix a cracked piece of steel.

The progress means there is a glimmer of hope that the bridge could reopen in time for Monday's commute.

Still, Caltrans officials warned that the necessary stress tests could lead to more construction work to make sure the repair can withstand high winds and vibrations - the conditions engineers blame for breaking the original fix.

More than 5,000 pounds of metal came crashing down onto traffic Tuesday evening, totaling a couple cars but leaving the drivers largely unscathed. The bridge has been closed ever since, the longest closure since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake shut it for a month.

"Once it's deemed safe, that's when it will open," said Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokeswoman. "At this point, I can't give you an estimate until we get a better sense of where the stress testing is."

Workers test the patch by slowly tightening steel rods that keep the brace secure. Then anti-vibration crossbeams are installed. After that, the rounds of final inspections begin.

Inspectors hired by Caltrans will evaluate the work, followed by a group of independent inspectors who check it again. They may drive several large trucks over the bridge to test the vibrations, agency spokesman Bart Ney said.

Crews have been working day and night trying to repair the eastern cantilevered span where a cracked eyebar was found about two months ago. A quick fix was installed over Labor Day weekend, but engineers failed to appropriately factor how weather and traffic would affect the repair.

The new fix isn't a vast departure from the original design; rather, it includes modifications designed to keep the brace from jiggling around. On Saturday, crews ground the sides of metal holes designed for large nuts that stabilize the original repair. They installed the nuts, checked the alignment, then removed them again to make further adjustments, Ney said.

If the newest repair should break, officials said, pieces of metal have been attached to the bridge to keep the patch from falling.

Caltrans plans to increase routine inspections of the bridge and the repair. Monitors will be installed to watch for unwanted movement that could cause another failure.

The bridge's closure has meant record-breaking numbers of riders on BART and clogged freeways that lead to alternate bridges.

BART ran trains through the night Friday and Saturday. Trains weren't terribly crowded Saturday morning and afternoon, though the BART stations were busier than usual and parking was tough to come by at some East Bay spots.